The No Hate Speech Movement is a youth campaign led by the Council of Europe Youth Department seeking to mobilise young people to combat hate speech and promote human rights online. Launched in 2013, it was rolled out at the national and local levels through national campaigns in 45 countries. The movement will remain active beyond 2017 through the work of various national campaigns, online activists and partners.
The No Hate Speech Movement youth campaign was launched by the Council of Europe in 2013. The campaign was extended until the end of 2017 as part of the Council of Europe Action Plan on the Fight against Violent Extremism and Radicalisation Leading to Terrorism. In addition, the campaign contributed to the Action Plan for Building Inclusive Societies and the Council of Europe Strategy on Internet Governance, which promotes an open, inclusive, safe and enabling online environment.
The project was based on youth participation and co-management by young people, with the support of governmental youth institutions. It was initiated by the youth representatives in the Joint Council on Youth. This council brings together youth leaders from the Advisory Council on Youth and the governmental youth representatives of the European Steering Committee on Youth.
The campaign objectives were to:
- support human rights education activities for action against hate speech and the risks it poses to democracy and the well-being of young people
- develop and disseminate tools and mechanisms for reporting hate speech, especially online, including at national level
- mobilise national and European partners to prevent and counter hate speech and intolerance online and offline
- promote media literacy and digital citizenship, and support young people’s participation in Internet governance.
Under the Council of Europe umbrella campaign, national and local campaigns were set up. The national campaigns made it possible to reach out better to young people and to reflect on all the specific issues and cultural and linguistic realities of Council of Europe regions. Following the end of co-ordination at the European level by the Council of Europe, in December 2017, most of the national campaigns will continue to function in 2018 and beyond.
https://www.coe.int/en/web/no-hate-campaign
Since February 2016 new German media producers have been coordinating the Council of Europe’s No Hate Speech campaign in Germany. The Federal Ministry for Families, the elderly, Women and Youths is promoting its coordination into the framework of the federal “living Democracy” programme by the end of 2017. The National Campaign Committee accompanies and advises the No Hate Speech movement. A broad alliance from civil society, politics and management is brought together in the committee.
